Radio Islam News Team – 02/02/2016

Today, the global community marks World Wetlands Day under the theme, Wetlands for our future & Sustainable Livelihoods.

In South Africa, wetlands are of strategic concern and are important in various sectors such as the environmental sector, planning sector and water sector.

Science is crucial in properly understanding the link between wetlands and these sectors to ensure sustainability, as these sectors may have far reaching impacts on wetland ecosystems.

This year’s World Wetlands Day theme aims to help spread awareness about the importance of wetlands and to demonstrate the vital role wetlands play in securing a future for humanity, and specifically their relevance towards achieving the new sustainable development goals.

Not so long ago, Oupa Fats, the wetlands separating Lenasia from Soweto, was all but forgotten.

The name stems from a very fat, old white man who used to live near the wetlands in the olden days.

But sadly, as time ran out for the real Oupa Fats, the wetlands became equally neglected, deteriorating until it was finally forgotten.

As is the case with most neglected open space, it soon became a dumping ground as wetlands are under threat of over utilisation for short term benefits, thereby compromising their ability to sustain the provision of benefits for human beings and the environment in the future.

It is a sad indictment of humanity’s inability to grasp the importance of the wetlands on their doorstep.

It is this new-found knowledge that he wants to impart above all, reminding people of a wetlands’ role in being a natural sponge, absorbing excess water and thereby controlling flooding.

And as a water purifier, nothing can beat a wetland.

Latest quality tests have proven that the condition and quality of Oupa Fats is excellent and remarkable considering the various urban areas this water mass travels through.

The wetlands forms part of the Klipspruit-Klipriver catchment area and is a mayoral greening priority in Soweto.

The river leaves Dobsonville and runs in a southwesterly direction through Eldorado Park before spreading to form a natural wetlands north of Lenasia.

These projects are just some of the seven driven by the handful of enthusiastic and energetic individuals making up the Lenz Going Green forum.

Ultimately though, the buy-in of the community is critical to take the initiatives forward, not only in supporting the various programmes but also in making lifestyle changes, becoming aware of pollution, littering, recycling and energy consumption…

However nobody wants to see this beautiful piece of land turn From Wetland to Waste Land.
Twitter: @momo_db